Tag Archives: beards and bites

You’re especially lucky today, Beards of Denver loyalists, because we’re bringing you a beard that will make you breathe easier–literally and figuratively. We met Mark while we were awaiting entry into the Great American Beer Festival in October, and we couldn’t have been more pleased to make his acquaintance. Mark started this version of his great beard journey in October of 2012 when he lost his job, but he’s had a beard the better part of the past 12 years (as you can expect, Mark is quite the wise man). Mark, who now works at the Pima Medical Institute teaching in the Respiratory Therapy department, has been growing his beard ever since he started his gig there last year, and his boss is one of his biggest supporters. His wife and daughter, however, are not exactly fans of his beard, which, of course, we find astonishing. Mark says that doesn’t deter his dedication to his beard growth, it just means a little less lovin’ from his sweetheart. If you look closely, you can see Mark braided the pretzels into his beard for GABF, which is his own handiwork; his wife wouldn’t help him as a form of protest. Even with her dislike of his manly mane, their marriage is going on 14 years strong! We hope his beard has at least a little to do with that great success. Mark, who lives in Highlands Ranch, says he gets lots of comments on his beard, especially from other bearded brothers “It’s like a beard fraternity,” he told us. One we’d proudly pledge, Mark! We hope all those pretzels came in handy at GABF.

Some men are born funny, some men are born to grow beards, but it’s the rare gem who’s born to do both. Luckily for you, Beards of Denver fans, we’ve brought him to you. Meet Adrian Mesa and his amazing beard. Adrian, who is originally from Florida, now calls Denver home, which is fortunate for all of us because not only can he grow a bad-ass beard, he’ll also make you laugh on the regular as he often performs stand-up at Comedy Works and also hosts a monthly comedy-event at The Deer Pile called 3 Course Comedy. Held every fourth Thursday, 3 Course Comedy brings in three comedians who prep an app, main course, and dessert for the audience whilst delivering food-based jokes; sounds like a winning recipe to us! Adrian’s beard here is representative of four months of stellar growth; we certainly hope he keeps it up!

We met up with J. about a month ago at one of our favorite beard hunting grounds in the city: Goosetown Tavern. Not only does J. rock an amazingly impressive beard (and awesome “Keep Denver Beard” t-shirt), he is also a complete and delightful southern Mississippi gentleman to boot. And J. isn’t an alias; he was named after his dad’s best friend J.P. and has gone by J. his entire life. He originally moved to Denver a few years ago from Mississippi to attend culinary school, and now works at the multiple (and delicious) Moe’s BBQ locations, where they are very welcoming of beard culture (and Makers Mark shots, which we approve of, naturally). This is the first time J. has grown his beard this long, and he said his roommate had one and that was part of the inspiration to grow his out. While his mom isn’t his beard’s biggest fan, he does believe his dad has some Beard Envy (and we can see why!) J.’s an Eagle Scout from back in the day, and if we had any say, he’d definitely earn the badge for Bad-Ass Beard! Keep up the great beard work J.!

When you head to an oyster fest, you go in expecting a high-level of awesomeness, and it only gets better when you also meet a fantastic beard. The ladies of Beards of Denver were lucky enough to encounter Dan while in line for said oysters at the High West Oyster Fest in Boulder a few weeks ago. From rural Kenosha, Wisconsin, Dan said his beard is stellar for many reasons, most importantly that it acts as a natural sunscreen when he snowboards. He’s been growing his beard since January, and he thinks he’s going to keep it around since it’s took a lot of work to get it to this stage. Dan and his lovely girlfriend Kat live in Boulder, and were Oyster-Fest VIPs; no messing around with good beards OR good oysters! They even shuck their own oysters at home. What we loved most about Dan (besides the oyster stain on his shirt) was the confidence he had about his beard and himself. In his words: “I’m handsome no matter what!” We think, even more so with that bountiful beard.

The ladies of Beards of Denver love frequenting the local haunts in their neighborhoods, and Park House at East Colfax and Madison has emerged as a favorite spot over the past few months. With frequent bluegrass shows, great drink specials, and a homey feel, there’s no shortage of bearded men milling about, which is an added bonus. But one beard stood out above the rest on a recent visit: Beards of Denver lovelies, meet Brian, the head chef at Park House. Originally from South Carolina, Brian first came to Denver in the early ‘90s to play baseball at CU Boulder. Though that never materialized, he did earn a degree in sociology, but discovered culinary school was his true calling, which he went on to complete in New York. After a stint in St. Petersburg, Florida, Brian made it to Denver nearly two years ago. Back in St. Pete’s, Brian entered many a beard contest, and we can certainly see why based on his beard-prowess. When asked if the beard is a staple for him, Brian’s response was, “I always say, if your daddy don’t got a beard, you got two mammas” (we take that as his beard is a mainstay for him). Brian’s fiancé, Kat, is a huge fan of his beard, and even asked him out first while he was still building up his courage to ask her out (a woman after our own hearts!) You may also notice Brian sporting a Reba McIntyre t-shirt; which, he assured us, isn’t ironic—he went to the concert when he was 13. He likes Reba, has a southern accent, AND sports a bad-ass beard? Color us smitten.

It’s not everyday that a girl walks into a Chicken Wings joint and encounters one of the most impressive beards she’s ever seen; but when you’re a lady of Beards of Denver, sometimes that hankering for wings combined with an affinity for discovering great beards collides, and magic happens. Beards of Denver fans, meet Sam. Originally from Saginaw, Michigan, he’s lived in Denver for 14 years, and his amazing beard is a testament to his scholarship; he’s been growing his beard for three and a half years, the length of his stint as a doctoral student in the creative writing program at University of Denver. Sam loves having his beard, and stated it’s his “friend maker;” it helps him get his message across to people by presenting a certain constitution, one of patience and that he works for things, and he prizes the “subliminals that come from the nonverbals of the beard” (we couldn’t have stated it any better than that). Sam’s wonderful wife Pari is the number one fan of his beard, and has actually only seen him once without it (impressive because they’ve been together for something like 19 years!) Pari says Sam’s long beard is also softer than day-old scruff and encouraged him to use morrocan oil in it for better care. Sam is a huge fan of Al at Al’s Barber Shop downtown on Larimer; Al makes sure Sam’s beard is all trimmed up, particularly around his mouth, which we’ve learned is essential. Both Sam and Pari stated that Sam’s beard changes interactions with people because he gets approached far more often the longer it gets. You think that people build bridges? Well, we have the proof here that beards do.—-Photo Credit by Dave Getzschman.

On one recent weekday, late-night excursion to Steubens (following an amazing concert from Denver’s own Nathaniel Rateliff at the Mercury Cafe), the ladies of Beards of Denver were lucky enough to late night dine with Bob and his fantastic beard. Bob not only can grow a stealth beard, he is also a wine connoisseur, as in, this bearded boy knows how to make the sauce! Because he’s also extremely sharp, Bob’s had his beard since he was 20 years old. Originally hailing from Southern Missouri, he’s been in Denver for the past 10 years. A hustler at dominoes, he also told us he excels at gold brickin’, making hooch (as previously stated), and wrastlin’. Combine all that with his beard, he’s really the total bearded package!

When you go to bacon and beer breakfast, you know you are in for a great time, guaranteed. It’s then a bonus then when you come across a great beard to go along with your bacon and beer! Meet Casey, who was serving up tasty bacon from the Denver Bacon Company at the Denver Beer Company’s beer and bacon breakfast on a recent gorgeous Saturday morning in Denver. Casey, who is the Chef De Cuisine at Masterpiece Delicatessen in Denver, has had this beard for the past seven years. Casey has called Denver home the past nine years, and originally hails from the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area (thus the love of bacon is not surprising). We liked Casey even more when he told us he hasn’t been clean shaven since he was 19 years old–start man. Casey’s sweetheart loves his beard–wise woman–and his two brothers also have the ability to sport beards, but don’t always grow them–we hope they’ll follow Casey’s lead, look at that beard, why wouldn’t you? Thanks Casey!

There’s something to be said about going to Vine Street Pub in Denver in February (perhaps multiple times). It is Stout Month, after all, where nearly everyday a new Stout beer is unveiled to quench the thirst of Denverites who oh-so-love their beer. And, a well-known fact (which anyone who has gone to Vine Street even once can attest to) is that it is a mecca for encountering handsome bearded men.Thus, we weren’t surprised–but were definitely delighted–to meet Andy and Mike (L-R) on Monday. These boys have known each other for several years, as they are both musicians, and a mutual affection for each other’s music lead to them playing in bands together in Denver.Mike, who is originally from St. Louis but currently calls Littleton home, has a reason for donning a shorter beard these days; he’s currently undergoing chemotheraphy to treat Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which he was diagnosed with only a few months ago. He told us earlier in the day he had cut off his long hair and donated it to Locks of Love, but his beard is holding on, despite the chemo (normally around the 18th chemo treatment most people lose their hair; Mike and his beard are at around 25 treatments now). Mike is very proud of his beard’s stamina, and rightfully so; he really, really wants his beard to keep on keepin’ on.Andy, whose amazingly well-groomed beard was what first caught our eyes, has been in Denver, off and on, since 1995. In October 2012 he shaved his face clean to celebrate his divorce, and declared that his current off-the-charts beard is hence a completely happy version. You’ll find no sadness lingering here, people; Just a seriously kick-ass example of bearded bliss. Andy did note that the ladies LOVE his beard; about half the time women just come up and grab his beard rather than first ask permission. That’s some serious bold moves there, ladies.Thanks for being such good sports and letting us crash your dinner guys! You are delightful.

Meet Dave and Cush! These two are friends of the already famous beards on the right, Phil and Jeter. Dave’s from NY and has been a Colorado mountain man for the past 15 years. He typically always has a beard but recently shaved it—we won’t hold it against him. This kayaker is only clean shaven for the season and once it’s over he quickly grows it back to stop the feeling of being consistently naked in public. He is an all natural type of man, has never once let a comb touch his locks.To his left is Mr. Cush from Hotlanta! He’s been living in Denver for the past two years. Upon arrival to the Mile High City, Cush let the beard do as it pleased. He finally escaped the clutches of corporate America and was free to live as the universe intended; with beard. He thanks the beard every day on the slopes for his free ski mask. Nice meeting these ‘Fire on the Mountain’ Beards!